It wasn’t that long ago that we were barely discussing E.J. Jenkins and his chances of landing on the Philadelphia Eagles’ roster, but let’s not be hard on ourselves or question our football acumen. Why would we have thought there was a reason to?

The former undrafted rookie free agent began his career with the New York Jets shortly after the 2023 NFL Draft. Adversity came early. He was waived during final roster cuts.

He then sandwiched a stint with the Las Vegas Raiders between a two-week stay on Philly’s practice squad and writing his name on a future/reserve contract.

That isn’t exactly the pedigree we look for when discussing roster hopefuls, but E.J. has done what a fringe player is supposed to do. He walked into training camp, and since day one, he performed as if he was supposed to be there.

With each opportunity as practice, he did his best to do something memorable when the ball came his way. That dedication led to a nice performance during the preseason.

Also read: Eagles preseason standouts who have strengthened their cases

E.J. Jenkins impresses everyone, including his Eagles coaches.

Here’s a list of the seven tight ends who are currently on the Eagles’ roster: Jenkins, Dallas Goedert, Grant Calcaterra, Kevin Foelsch, Albert Okwuegbunam Jr., C.J. Uzomah, and Armani Rogers.

We assumed Albert O had an inroad to make the roster following the announcement of his one-year deal. We assumed Uzomah’s acquisition meant he’d compete for a roster spot. We thought about Grant’s chances, but truth be told, many had given up on him…. Shame on all of you!

Foelsch and Rogers were late acquisitions. Jenkins had been around longer. We weren’t discussing E.J. being valued by the coaching staff more than Dallas, Grant, C.J., or Albert. In our minds, he had a shot to compete for a spot on the practice squad.